CRUCIAL CLEMSON VICTORY!

Ask and you shall receive. Well, I asked for a victory in Death Valley and I received one. Although things did not look promising after the first half where the Terps looked left for dead going into halftime down 17-6. The defense allowed close to 200 yards rushing and Spiller and Davis looked "un-tackle-able".

Things turned around though, was it a pep talk by the coach at the half? Was it a veteran leader stepping up and getting his team riled up? Or perhaps it was the realization that there was still a chance to steal a game on the road and set the tempo for the ACC season.

Heyward-Bey ripped off a 76 yard sprint to shift the momentum and countless receivers contributed with 6 different guys getting into the action. One interesting thing to note, Heyward-Bey did not account for a reception in the game.

What exactly happened to the Clemson offense in the 2nd half? They had zero points and did not pose much of a threat after halftime. I know for one thing for sure though, the Terp's d showed some heart and passion. Personally, I love the linebacking group that lines up every game. The secondary has it's moments as well.

Who deserves the gameball for this game? Well I think it has to be split between Chris Turner for showing poise and accuracy and also the defense for stepping up to the challenege in the second half and slowing down a dyanic running duo.

Now let's carry on this momentum to an inferior team, the Wahoos of Virginia or whatever they call themselves these days.

Fast Start in the ACC is CRUCIAL

So here we are, the start of the ACC season for the Terps and what should we expect? Well for one, a lot of balance. The preseason favorite, Clemson was ranked #9 in the preseason polls and was just as quickly knocked out of the rankings by 'Bama. Other perennial teams like Virignia Tech, Florida State and Miami aren't going to scare anyone this season. Wake Forest looks like the strongest of the bunch at this point.

So what does this all mean? Well a FAST start in the ACC is CRUCIAL. Convienantly enough the Terps ACC season starts with the orange and purple of Clemson in Death Valley, the preseason favorite. So what better way to prevent the 1-4 ACC start of last season rearing its ugly head once again this season than to defeat Clemson in Death Valley.

The key to the game will be to slow down the combo of Spiller and Davis, while getting Green and Scott rolling for the Terps.

In my opinion, The Terps ACC schedule is pretty friendly outside of the Thursday night clash in Blacksburg against the Hokies of VT. The ACC is definitely up for the grabs and if the offense that appears against CAL and Eastern Michigan appears more than the offense that was present for Delaware and Middle Tennessee State, then the Terps should do just fine. However, if it doesn't it could be a long season.

Once again, a fast start is crucial especially against preseason favorite Clemson.

-Steak

Curry on the Cal Game

If you have been listening in on the Steak Crab and Curry Show then you know all three of us talk about the fact that the Terps always play to the level of their competition. Saturday's game against California was no exception as the Terrapins beat the Golden Bears 35-27. Maybe it was the noon game time (which is 9 am in California) or maybe it was just a good team finally finding their identity; either way the Terps looked good taking care of the 23rd ranked team in the nation. Maryland's two running backs Da'Rel Scott and Davin Meggit chewed up the Cal defense for 169 yards and 3 td's. Chris Turner who threw 3 picks against Middle Tennessee State last weekend did not commit a turnover on Saturday while going 15/19 passing with 156 yds and a td. But it was the Maryland defense that really surprised people including myself. They held RB Jahvid Best to just 25 yards rushing after he ran for 311 yds in Cal's first two games. They also sacked QB Kevin Riley 5 times and forced him to throw an interception.

I cant be happier for the players and coaches of this team especially after the dissapointing loss to Middle Tennesse last weekend. This just goes to show that we have a very tough team that is willing to go toe to toe with anyone in the country. With a balanced offense that doesnt turn the ball over and a defense forcing turnovers and sacks I really feel that the Terps have a good chance of being ACC Champs. One thing that has been worrying me is our kicking game. Egekeze has not made a field goal all year and when the Terps get to conference play, every point counts and could be the difference between win and a loss. I don't know who Coach Friedgen can turn to for field goals; maybe a soccer player on the bench or someone else but this needs to be taken care of asap.

Im looking forward to the game on Saturday against Eastern Carolina because it gives Maryland a chance to build off of this past weekends win. For once in my collegiate career I want to see our football team absolutely decimate an opponent; blow them out of the water by 50 points. Saturday will give us an opportunity to do just that and hopefully our team is up for the challenge.

As always...GO TERPS

Kevin Barnes Unleashed!

Kevin Barnes made a name for himself last weekend against Cal...just ask Jahvid Best about it.




And the conclusion to this play...




Well that was pretty gross.

Top 10 Terrapins of All-Time

SI.com recently put together a top 10 list of all-time Terrapins. You can check out the article here.

Here is the run down of the list:

10. Scott Milanovich – Football QB – 1993-1995

09. Len Bias – Basketball – 1982-1986

08. Stan Jones – Football – 1950 – 1954

07. Jen Adams – Lacrosse – 1998-2001

06. Renaldo Nehemiah – Track – 1978-1980

05. Boomer Esiason – Football – 1981-1983

04. Crystal Longhorne – Basketball – 2004-2008

03. Joe Smith – Basketball – 1994-1995

02. Randy White – Football – 1971-1974

01. Juan Dixon – Basketball – 1999-2002

Do you agree with this list? Comment below!

Da'Rel Scott and Coach Friedgen

Note: Game reactions to the CAL game to come. Sorry for the lack of posts recently. We will up the ante shortly.

Some news to pass along to begin with, Da'Rel Scott is listed as questionable for the upcoming tilt with Eastern Michigan. Scott has a sprained AC Joint in his shoulder and will be limited to non-contact drills this week leading up to the game. Against CAL, Scott ran 19 times for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns. Scott has been the anchor of the offense early on in the season and will counted on for the rest of the season.

Coach Ralph Friedgen also did admit that he is considering a kicking change, with Obi Egekeze 0 for 5 so far, Friedgen will look at other options.




Coach Friedgen on Sportscenter this past weekend.

Steffy Out 3 Weeks

Well the QB controversy just got a little more injury because of Steffy's injury to his right thumb. Whether you believe it or not, Turner will almost certainly start with Portis contributing significantly.

Coach Ralph Friedgen confirmed through an ACC conference call today that Jordan Steffy was out indefinitely. According to the WMUC Football blog, Portis and Turner both took 1st team reps. You can read that blog here.

Dre Moore Released

With NFL rosters being trimmed to 53 players this past Saturday, a lot of Terp undrafted free agents did not fair to well.

- The Washington Redskins cut Andrew Crummey and TE Jason Goode, however Crummey was resigned to the practice squad

- The Green Bay Packers released '07 free agent Conrad Bolston and TE Joey Haynos, Haynos was re-signed to the Packer practice squad

- The Dallas Cowboys released running back Keon Lattimore

- The Jags waived corner back Isiah Gardner, but he was also able to land a gig on the practice squad

- Lance Ball was able to make the St. Louis Rams' practice squad after a successful training camp

- 4th Round draft pick, DT Dre Moore was cut by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after showing up overweight to camp and never really grasping the playbook. There was also a rumor that Moore was never really on the good side of coach Gruden.

- In some good news, undrafted rookie linebacker Erin Henderson has appeared to have made the Minnesota Vikings and join his brother and former Terp, E.J. on the team

Lots of Terp Goodness

Lots of Terps Goodness of news and notes and predictions has come through with the ACC Blog on ESPN.Com. One of our favorite writers and ACC beat reporters, Heather Dinich has recently updated her blog with a rankings of the hardest schedules and games to watch in the ACC. Some of the highlights below:

ACC's Hardest Schedules:

1. Georgia Tech -- Paul Johnson has back-to-back road games in the ACC against Boston College and Virginia Tech in the first three weeks, plus road trips to Clemson, UNC and rival Georgia. Yikes. The only breaks are the fact Wake and Maryland aren't on there. And Duke is.

7. Maryland -- The Terps get road trips to Clemson and Virginia Tech, plus a tough nonconference home game against Cal and a visit from Wake Forest. By the time these guys play Duke again, the Blue Devils just might win.

12. North Carolina -- The Tar Heels don't play Clemson, Wake Forest or Florida State -- three of the top teams in the Atlantic Division. And they've got Virginia Tech early (Sept. 20). If there was ever a year for Butch Davis to take advantage of his schedule and a watered-down division, this would be it.

Top 10 Games To Watch:

5. Maryland at Clemson, Sept. 27: Ralph Friedgen loves playing in Death Valley, and the Terps have a team that could surprise a few people, the Tigers included. The addition of first-year offensive coordinator James Franklin, backup quarterback Josh Portis, and a veteran offensive line make Maryland a dark horse.

You can read the full posts and Heather's preseason predictions here.


5 DAYS TIL KICKOFF!

Steak's Cut on the QB Situation

The answer to the summer long debate about who should and who would be the starting quarterback for your Terrapin offense on August 30th, opening day, has finally been addressed. The answer is Senior Jordan Steffy.

Steffy and his 5 career starts and 14 overall games played will be lining up behind Preseason All-ACC center Edwin Williams against the Blue Hens of Delaware, with Chris Turner listed second on the depth chart and Josh Portis third.

But is this the right choice?

The answer in one word is no. In my opinion, Steffy should have been listed third on the depth chart with Chris Turner given the first opportunity at the starting job and Josh Portis in between.

Shouldn’t the guy who defeated two Top 10 teams in a season be given a fair opportunity to continue his success? An unrated squad led by Turner went on the road and put up 34 points on Rutgers, who continued to slide out of the rankings for the remainder of the season.

Is that not enough? How about a 42-35 shootout at home against #8 Boston College? Turner essentially went blow for blow with Heisman candidate and top rated quarterback in the country Matt Ryan and came out on top!

When given the opportunity at the beginning of the season at a Top 10 team in West Virginia, Jordan Steffy came up very small. Other than that, Steffy did not face much competition and the results were mediocre. The quarterback position is fortunate enough to be graced with one of the most exciting receivers in the country, Darrius Heyward-Bey and when you fail to get him the ball through out a game it frustrates the fan base constantly.

If you would like to argue that Steffy had a completion percentage of 67.3 versus Turner’s 63%, which shows consistency in a lot of people minds, then I will refute that by saying Jordan is a classic conservative and check-down quarterback who can manage a game. Similar to another quarterback in town a few years back in Baltimore who a little bit of success, Trent Dilfer.

I would be remiss, if I did not point out the fact that those Ravens had the best defense in the league, something of which the Terps don’t currently possess at this time and point.

So I say, why not live a little? Why not throw the deep ball? Why not utilize Mr. Heyward-Bey, a top 10 talent in the ACC hands down? Why not use Chris Turner, who the students and fan base fell in love with and who managed the Terps to some huge victories last season?

Turner’s 1:1 touchdown to interception ratio isn’t all that much to get excited about, but I must also point out that Turner’s longest touchdown pass of the season was 78 yards, almost 40 yards longer than Steffy's longest touchdown pass. Ok, so Turner is a little more erratic with his throws but from his games last year I think it also shows that he willing to take chances and utilize his options.

According to Coach Ralph Friedgen, none of the quarterbacks really separated themselves in both spring practices and summer camps. So I ask why you landed on Jordan Steffy as your starter.

Coach Friedgen also mentioned that Josh Portis will be used in specific situations. I am very pleased to hear this revelation about the quarterback situation. Portis’ skill set and mobility should not go untapped and hopefully we will be able to see what the Florida transfer can do when given the opportunity. You see this situation work out a lot of times in places like Florida, LSU, and Virginia Tech most recently.

Don’t get me wrong though, it is not as if I won’t root for Jordan Steffy when opening day kicks off, but in my opinion Chris Turner had earned the opportunity to try and continue where he left off last season.

Chris Turner Close to Transferring

According to the Washington Post, Quarterback Chris Turner was seriously considering transferring from Maryland after the quarterback decision by Coach Friedgen.

After Jordan Steffy was announced as starter, Turner took a solid 2 days and several chats with family members to make the decision to stay a Terp.

When asked how close Turner had come to transferring, John Turner (father)
said, "All the pieces were in the right place if he wanted to."

YOUR STARTING QUARTERBACK...

Well it is official, the three-man race for starting quarterback for the University of Maryland football squad is over...for now... Jordan Steffy is your starter.

After the morning practice today, Coach Ralph Friedgen announced that senior Jordan Steffy would be starting against Delaware when the team opens up the season against Delaware on August 30. Turner is listed as 2nd on the depth chart and Portis will be 3rd.

Although, Friedgen did say that Portis will definitely play in games and will some sort of X-factor role. Friedgen also did not rule out the possibility of playing 2 or even 3 quarterbacks in a game!

Is this the right decision?

Source: UMTerps.com, ACC Blog - ESPN.COM

BONUS CUTS:

- Cornerback Richard Taylor was taken to the hospital today after practice

Terps in the NFL

The Baltimore Sun did an excellent job of running down some of the recent football Terps and their where abouts this training camp. The only Terp to be drafted this year was Dre Moore, who went to Tampa Bay. Here are some of the highlights of the article:

-According to Scout.com, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden thinks defensive tackle Dre Moore -- Maryland's lone draft choice -- has a ways to go before making an impact:It was obvious, though, that Gruden thought fourth-round pick Dre Moore, a defensive tackle out of Maryland, was behind the rest of the class."You know, this is not a game where you want to do too much thinking at that position," Gruden said. "You've got to get off the ball, you've got to be disruptive, and he is getting better. I think he's getting in better shape. The tempo and the speed of this game is probably a little bit foreign to him but he does have talent."

- Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis that an injury to backup linebacker Heath Farwell will open the door for Erin Henderson to receive more playing time.Childress said Henderson, the undrafted free agent, will get more reps in practice. Henderson has shown flashes in camp and had a solid debut Friday with five tackles.

- An injury to Green Bay Packers backup tight end Tory Humphrey could pave the way for Joey Haynos to claim the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. The Green Bay Press-Gazette reports that Haynos' speed and blocking have impressed Packers coaches:Haynos is extraordinarily long-levered at 6-8, 268 pounds. He primarily worked as a blocker and possession receiver at Maryland, where he had 67 receptions for 687 yards and three touchdowns over his last two seasons. McAdoo said Haynos is the most fundamentally sound blocker among the rookie tight ends, and in training camp, Haynos has shown an ability to get downfield, too.

You can read the rest of the article here . A highly recommended read!

BONUS CUTS:
- SI.com has its ACC preview up, the Terps are predicted to finish 3rd in the Atlantic at 4-4 in ACC play
-They also pegged Darrius Heyward-Bey as the 5th most outstanding player in the ACC

Terps Links

Here are a roundup of some of the Terps football stories going around town:

* New Offensive Coordinator James Franklin has put a spark into the Terps offense this offseason

* Recruited as wide receivers, Nolan Carroll and Terrell Skinner have made smooth transactions to the secondary

* Incoming freshman Kenny Tate has also been asked to move from receiver to safety for the upcoming season

* The Terps will lean on the senior offensive line this season

* Maryland Coach Ralph Friedgen said yesterday that defensive lineman Travis Ivey will miss the next three to six weeks because of a broken foot

* Josh Portis has been making a case to be named the starting quaterback for week 1

Terps Football News & Notes

After not posting for a few days, here are some of the news and notes of the Terps Football squad courtesy of www.UMterps.com:

* The coaching staff had a chance to evaluate the film of Saturday's scrimmage with the off day. Friedgen echoed what he mentioned after the scrimmage, "there were good things and some things we've got to get a lot better at." He praised the work of the secondary which had two interceptions (Nolan Carroll and Kevin Barnes) and thought the offensive line didn't play as well in the scrimmage as it had during the first week of practice. Individuals who stood out included Travis Ivey, Jeremy Navarre and Rick Costa

* As far as the quarterbacks, Friedgen pointed out that offensive coordinator James Franklin's thoughts were that Chris Turner and Jordan Steffy were `about even again', and that Josh Portis `played better and managed the game better, but missed a couple throws.' Friedgen still thinks that Portis has shown improvement since the spring and practiced well in Monday's first workout

* University of Maryland senior quarterback Jordan Steffy has been nominated for the 17th annual Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association recently announced. Steffy, a fifth-year player from Leola, Pa., joins 70 fellow nominees who were selected from the more than 50,000 football student-athletes at all four-year collegiate institutions based on their exemplary involvement with charitable organizations and community service projects

Terps Football Odds N Ends

Here are a few links about the Terps Football squad so far this Training Camp:

- E.J. Henderson is trying to find his way on the Vikings Roster

- Lance Ball is performing well at scrimmages for the St. Louis Rams

- Have the Terps hit a ceiling under coach Ralph Friedgen?

- Josh Portis is impressing at camp with his QB play

- The Dallas News did an interview with undrafted rookie Keon Lattimore of the Dallas Cowboys

Terps Football News & Notes

Heather Dinich of ESPN.com updated her ACC blog recently with some news and notes from practic here:

" *The secondary has to replace three of four starters from a year ago, but this group led a ramped up defensive charge in the first day of full pads. DB's Nolan Carroll, Jeff Allen and Kevin Barnes each made interceptions. Carroll produced what was perhaps the play of the day when he dove to make a shoestring catch on a pass deflected by defensive lineman Mack Frost.

* The defense implemented blitz package drills for the first time.

* Is former Florida QB Josh Portis finally making a move? Ralph Friedgen said Portis looked the best on Wednesday.

* The standout offensive play, though, came from redshirt freshman receiver Tony Logan, who caught a touchdown on a deep fade pattern, prompting offensive coordinator James Franklin to exclaim, "That's beautiful! I love these touchdowns -- the defender can't find the ball!"

Football Schedule W's & L's

As do most people who cover a specific football team both professionally and in the college ranks, it is always a fun exercise to take a look at the schedule and predict W's and L's before the season starts.

Steak here, to lay out my W's & L's for the season:


08/30/08 vs. Delaware --> W

09/06/08 at Middle Tennessee State --> W

09/13/08 vs. California --> L

09/20/08 vs. Eastern Michigan --> W

09/27/08 at Clemson --> L

10/04/08 at Virginia --> W

10/18/08 vs. Wake Forest --> L

10/25/08 vs. North Carolina State (Homecoming) --> W

11/06/08 at Virginia Tech --> L

11/15/08 vs. North Carolina --> W

11/22/08 vs. Florida State --> W

11/29/08 at Boston College --> W


Wow, So I have them at 8-4. Did not really realize that one. Hey, to quote Kevin Garnett, "ANYTHING'S POSSIBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

I actually think that the VT game could be the surprise Win of the year, but I am gonna play safe to begin with and of course until we find out who is starting for the Terps.

We will have to get the predictions of Curry & Crab as well.

Jackson's Loss, Ball's Gain?

With the Stephen Jackson missing up to 2 weeks in Rams training camp, Ex-Terp and undrafted free agent Lance Ball has been given extended looks in the backfield. In an article about all the undrafted picks with Rams, Ball receives some praise:

With Jackson making Rams nation nervous, Lance Ball has been given plenty
of extra time to make an impression in camp. The Maryland product has been
running well and making catches, even scoring one of two TDs in last weekend's
scrimmage. It'll be tough for Ball to make the 53-man roster once Jackson comes
back, with Brian Leonard guaranteed a spot and Antonio Pittman getting the third
thanks to his downhill speed. If he continues his camp run through the
preseason, he'd be hard to turn away from the practice squad.

Could be tough for Ball to make the roster, but at least he is making the best of the opportunity.

UMD Football: News & Notes

A few more notes from the 2nd day of practice for the Terps at Training Camp courtesy of www.umterps.com:

*The Terps have only practiced for two days, but Friedgen indicated after Tuesday's practice that some players atop the depth chart are being pushed. Redshirt freshman Torrey Smith is pushing incumbent starter Isaiah Williams at X receiver. Williams has started the last two seasons, but Smith was singled out in the spring as a potential difference maker by Friedgen and the rest of the coaching staff.

*Senior left tackle Scott Burley, who was a second-team All-ACC choice, is trying to fend off a challenge from Bruce Campbell, who played as a true freshman last season.

*Friedgen also singled out freshman running back Davin Meggett for his play during camp. Meggett has not only showed quickness running the ball, but also blocked a punt in special teams drills.